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KC Media Watch Alert #11:
 

Cheney under criminal investigation in massive bribery scandal

Dear KC Media Watch subscriber:

If you're only watching the American media, there's a story you haven't heard a thing about, but not because it's inconsequential to Americans: International news sources have reported that Vice President Dick Cheney could come under criminal investigation for his role in a massive bribery scandal while he was head of Halliburton.

The story has been discussed in French, British, and Australian papers for at least three weeks. On Saturday, the Dallas Morning News became the first major U.S. newspaper to cover the story -- with a front page article, no less. Yet the other 11 of America's 12 highest-circulation daily papers haven't covered Cheney's inclusion in the investigation at all. A Google News search showed no report on this in the Kansas City Star as well.

Please write a brief letter to the editor of the Kansas City Star, and let them know that they're failing the American public by ignoring this important issue.

MORE INFO:

The investigation involves allegations that Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root and a French company together paid $180 million in illegal commissions to government officials during the construction of a natural gas complex in Nigeria.

This comes after Halliburton's admission in May that, under Cheney's leadership, the oil-field services company "paid a Nigerian tax official $2.4 million in bribes to get favorable tax treatment," according to the Associated Press. An investigation on the matter by the Securities and Exchange Commission continues. Halliburton has also come under fire for inflating gasoline prices in Iraq and receiving noncompetitive contracts to rebuild Iraqi oil facilities.

Initiated by French law enforcement authorities, the case would be prosecuted under an international treaty making bribery of foreign public officials a criminal offense. The treaty has been signed by the United States, France, and over 30 other countries.

For more information about this investigation, read the international news articles assembled by the Center for American Progress in its daily Progress Report: http://tinyurl.com/35zht 

This isn't about supporting or opposing Vice President Cheney. Whether or not Cheney is ever tried on criminal charges of misusing corporate assets, the American media should be keeping the public informed about significant legal investigations involving elected leaders. Journalistic principles demand the free press serve as a monitor of those in power.

ACTION:

Write to the Kansas City Star and make them aware of their dereliction in failing to report this.

Writing a letter to the editor could take 20 minutes or less. Here are our standard tips for expediting the process:

Your own words, written from the heart, are always best. Brevity is the soul of wit.

Be sure to include your name and address, and especially your phone number when submitting your letter. Editors need to call you to verify authorship before they can print your letter. They won't print your phone number. Please let KC Media Watch know you've responded by including our email address (kcmediawatch@yahoo.com) in the BCC: line of emails to any media you contact. We'd like to track media response to our actions.

1. Send a letter up to 150 words to letters@kcstar.com or write Kansas City Star, Letters, 1729 Grand Blvd., KCMO 64108. Include your name, address and daytime phone number.

Or call (816) 234-4497 to leave a 30-second commentary. Leave your name, address and daytime phone number. (Please email us with the gist of your call if you choose this option)

2. Contact the Readers' Representative, Yvette Walker, at readerrep@kcstar.com, (816) 234-4487, or fax (816) 234-4940 (8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. weekdays).